Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
From a Traveler's Note Book.
RECOLLECTIONS OF A CANADIAN TRIP—A VISIT TO THE FACTORIES ACROSS THE BORDER.
D. W. KARN & CO.—W. DOHERTY & CO. —BERLIN PIANO CO.—MORRIS, FIELD & ROGERS.
BELL ORGAN AND PIANO CO.—TORONTO TRADE—A. & S. NORDHEIMER —THOMAS
CLAXTON—-HEINTZMAN & CO. W. BOHNE THE DIEHL MFG. CO. OTTO
HIGEL GERARD HEINTZMAN ASHDOWN's MUSIC STORE.
QUAINT OLD QUEENSTON.
HE quaint old town of Queens-
ton—this spot in the early
days of the century was the
capital of Upper Canada. It
is only a short distance up
the Niagara River to this
historic old spot, and only a short distance
down from the Falls. The commerce
in the old days made this point one of
great distribution.
It seems almost a
shame that it should have dwindled into
insignificance, as regards commerce, for it
certainly has, and I question if, where
years ago, according to history, stood three
hundred hotels and a flourishing city, are
to-day three hundred dwellings. Coming
up the Niagara River from Lake Ontario
one sees projecting from the tree-capped
heights behind Queenston, a tall stately
shaft which is surmounted by a statue wear-
ing the old time chapeau, and with sword
uplifted. It is of General Brock, who con-
vinced the Americans in 1812 that the mat-
ter of taking Canada was no easy task, and
thereby dissuaded them with much glory
to himself. This monument would do cred-
it to the squares of London or Paris, and
it stands there alone in its green walled
stateliness, a monument of the days agone.
* *
Last year, accompanied by Mr. Karn, I
had the pleasure of thoroughly inspecting
both his piano and organ factories at Wood-
stock, Ontario, and was much impressed
with the evidence of close attention to fac-
tory details which were apparent at every
turn. Seeking to analyze the reasons why
the business has grown from a small begin-
ning to one of world-wide distribution, we
must first look at the individuality of the
man who has created it. D. W. Karn,
himself a man of strong personality, has
impressed it upon his work, and the result
is, the business established by him is solid
and enduring. I had the pleasure of exam-
ining a new Karn grand, and can speak in
eulogistic terms regarding its musical qual-
ities. Careful supervision, the selection of
excellent materials, and intelligent work-
manship embodied in the products of this
house, have made the Karn instruments to
be sought for and desired by dealers. The
Karn is undoubtedly one of the best selling
pianos in Canada and in the hands of intel-
ligent dealers it commands a large trade.
This is seen notably in the results attained
by Messrs. Gourlay, Winter & Leeming, of
Toronto, dealers whose annual sales reach a
very large number of the Karn make. Mr.
Karn is endowed with great vitality and
powers of endurance. Aside from the su-
perintendence of his large manufacturing
business, he has been prominent in the
commercial and educational affairs of the
city of Woodstock, and has occupied many
positions of trust and honor. He is a man
who looks upon distances as nothing. If a
matter of importance requires his presence
at either of his branches in Hamburg or
Berlin, in a few days he is there, and in a
few days more he is back again, this
time possibly dispensing hospitality with
visitors at his magnificent residence in the
city of Woodstock.
* *
*
I found Mr. Doherty seated at his desk al-
most obscured from view by the pile of
papers, manuscripts, etc., which represented
a vast amount of unfinished business. In
reply to my inquiry as to the state of busi-
ness, he said, "We are busy—very busy in-
deed. Isn"t this indication of it?" pointing
to his work. Aside from controlling a large
trade in Canada, the Doherty Co. also have
a well established European business, hav-
ing their own branch in Liverpool. In
fact, special attention to their foreign trade
has helped to make the Doherty factory
busy while the home trade was in somewhat
of a depressed condition. The factory,
which covers an acre of ground, is person-
ally supervised by Mr. Doherty, who still
finds time, like many other enterprising
Canadians, to take an interest in outside
matters, being strongly prominent in musi-
cal affairs in his native city.
John Wesley, who is well known to the
American trade, supervises the business of
the Berlin Piano Co. The factory which
this company occupy is large, well lighted
and well appointed, constructed of brick,
lying adjacent to the railroad, which gives
them the possession of unsurpassed railroad
facilities both as to receiving and shipping
their wares. Berlin, as its name indicates,
is largely settled by the Germans. They
all seem to take a warm interest in the pro-
ducts ofj the Berlin piano factory. They
use the Wessell, Nickel & Gross action, and
are very enthusiastic from the results at-
tained with the mechanism which bears the
imprint of this celebrated firm.
Morris, Field & Rogers, Listowell, Ont.,
manufacture the "Morris" piano. Listo-
well is one of the hardest points in Canada
to reach. They have about one train a day,
and it is mighty uncertain whether you'll get
there on that train or not. As for me, well,
there were disappointments in store. The
factory in which the Morris piano is built
corresponds favorably with other institu-
tions of the kind in Canada. It is built of the
straw colored brick, which is such a familiar
sight in business edifices in the Dominion.
The Bell Organ & Piano Co., Guelph,
Ont., is one of the great industries of the
city of Guelph, as you will readily imagine
when its imposing buildings present them-
selves to view on the approach to the depot.
This company have also a large retail estab-
lishment in Toronto, and one in London,
Eng. Their foreign business is, I think,
larger than their home trade at present.
The founder, Wm. Bell, still takes an active
interest in the direction of the company's
affairs which bear his name.
Before I attempt to give a brief descrip-
tion of the leading firms in the music trade
in Toronto, it will not be deemed out of
place to state something of the present con-
ditions of the city and analyze the reasons
which have given this city such an indus-
trial prominence—made it the metropolis of
Upper Canada. It is interesting to note the
rise and decay of some of the old cities of
the Dominion. For illustration, once Que-
bec reigned as the capital of Canada, but a
blight fell on the ancient capital, and the
business houses which flourished along St.
Peter street are no longer there, and the
docks themselves aie tenantless of ships.
Past Quebec up the stately St. Lawrence
moved the ocean commerce, to Montreal.
Situated at the head of ocean navigation,
it became the commercial as well as the
manufacturing city of Canada. Still up-
ward the wave of commerce swept. Tor-
onto, founded in 1794, about twenty years
ago began to slowly assert its commercial
sway, and at the present rate of increase in
may be safely augured that Toronto will be
well towards Montreal commercially in a
brief period of time. Montreal must look to
its laurels, or Toronto will supplant her.
Situated on the northern shore of Lake
Ontario, Toronto occupies a geographical
position which entitles it to a great lake
trade, and to-day the population exceeds
considerably a quarter of a million. This
speaks much for a city which nearly fifty
years ago possessed less than ten thousand
people; it seems to well bear out its Indian
name—Toronto, which means a "place of
meeting.'' Originally as a French stockade
and trading pest, its advance on commer-
cial lines finds no parallel in the history of
Canada. Music trade, in common with
other industrial lines, has progressed rap-
idly there. Within the limits of the city of
Toronto are no less than fifteen manufact-
uring concerns devoted directly to the mak-
ing of musical instruments and parts there-
of. There are many palatial warerooms as
well. There are also two or three noted in-
stitutions of musical learning which dissem-
inate musical culture throughout all of Up-
per Canada.
It has been remarked that the elevating
influence of the Nordheimer establishment
has been similar throughout. Canada to that
of the Steinway firm of New York. There
is certainly in Canada no firm which occu-
pies a higher position than that of Nordhei-
mer. The retail business of this house is
conducted from their own building on King